The Taranaki health sector continues to work towards the targets, which are indicative of a wider range of services and efforts in priority areas.

“We are committed to working towards achieving the targets, and recognise there are areas for improvement,” Planning and Funding, and Population Health General Manger Sandra Boardman says.

She says a focus on the six key areas is important to continue to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve the quality of health services for local people. “The targets provide a useful indication of how we are doing.”

This quarter is the first to show results from the new target, More Heart and Diabetes Checks, which replaces the CVD/Diabetes target. The target is that, by July 2012, 60 percent of the eligible population will have had their cardiovascular risk assessed in the last five years. This target will increase in stages each year to 90 percent by July 2014.

The Health Targets are:

1) Shorter Stays in ED. Target 95%, Achieved 90%
We are disappointed to be below the target of 95% of patients seen in ED admitted or transferred from the ED within six hours. This has been an enormous effort by the Emergency Department and the whole hospital approach. Our team continues to focus on improving the flow of patients in our acute pathway work.

2) Improved Access to Elective Surgery: Target 100%, Achieved 121%
Taranaki residents received higher than planned levels of elective surgery – 121% for the quarter – with 3674 people receiving elective surgery across all providers. This is a very pleasing result but we will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to maintain our target.

4) Increased Immunisation: Target 95%, Achieved 89%
Increasing immunisation rates are a priority in order to reduce the incidence of preventable disease in our community. We are disappointed to be down 2% from our last quarter result . The DHB is working closely with the PHOs in Taranaki to educate and inform the community on the benefits and importance of immunisation.

5) Better Help for Smokers to Quit: Target 95%, Achieved 90%
We continue to work hard at reaching this target. An online learning tool for staff and a dedicated smokefree liaison position has been implemented and producing positive results across the DHB.

6) More Heart and Diabetes Checks: Achieved 55%
Because this is a new health target, no comparison can be made between the results this quarter and data from the previous quarter. Results for the diabetes indicators from the previous CVD/Diabetes target can be found on www.health.govt.nz/healthtargets.

Taranaki DHB will continue to support the PHOs in ensuring there are services in place to meet this new target. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are among the main causes of ill health in Taranaki.